The US has joined the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, with President Donald Trump announcing the US has carried out strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites.
Operation Hammer involved 125 US aircraft, including B-52 bombers, and 75 precision guided weapons to target Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said they stuck where “we wanted them to strike and had the desired effect.”
Trump said the attacks had “completely and totally obliterated” the nuclear facilities.
“This attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran by the United States is the most significant development since the initial Israeli strikes over a week ago,” said Dr Ben Zala, Senior Lecturer in International Relations at Monash School of Social Sciences. “It will be almost impossible to fully account for all the nuclear material now. So, we may not know just how far back this puts Iran’s program for some time. But it is likely that it has been put back years.”
“A number of questions remain,” he added. “How quickly will Iran attempt to rebuild its program and be able to build a nuclear weapon? They now have every incentive to. Also, how much wider will this war now spread? Iranian attacks against United States interests in the region appear likely and perhaps even against the United States are possible.”
“The big question is whether an all-out war will be worth setting back a potential nuclear weapons program that was never likely to pose an existential threat to Israel or the United States. At this stage, the risks appear to outweigh the benefits.”
